America's Sweetheart
by TwilightMommyof4girls
Summary: Their relationship reached magical heights in moments, crashing dismally just as quickly. What do one couple and two meddling friends have to gain... or to lose? I don't own it, Stephenie does. I just like to play with her characters! COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**This was another story that was written LONG ago and never posted. As I am recovering documents from my old system I am discarding and posting as the story dictates. Thanks again to KareBear1965 for her support and mad beta skills. The updates are coming I SWEAR!**

**This story is 3 chapters, all being published today! I'm so nice! (Don't get used to it!)**

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**It's been eight months since anybody has seen actress Isabella Dwyer, dubbed 'America's Sweetheart' for her personality both on and off the set. Her publicity company, Denali and Associates, had no comment. Isabella burst onto the scene just over five years ago earning the title roll in...**

I threw the paper down in disgust. America's Sweetheart! Pfffft! Her publicist... I paced the room, running my hands through my hair as I tried to push back the memories of Bella Swan, aka Isabella Dwyer. But it was no use. I still couldn't forget her.

"_Oh, pardon me," the sweetest voice I had ever heard said to me as her garment bag knocked my water all over my boots. She grabbed a towel from the table and dropped to her knees to try to clean up the mess._

"_It's no trouble at all, Ma'am," I had responded as I reached to take the towel from her hands. Her cheeks were scarlet as she apologized again. Finally, once I had the glass righted on the table, and the water mess as clean as it was going to get, I introduced myself._

"_Jasper Hale," I said, offering her my hand. "It's a pleasure to meet ya."_

"_Isabella Dwyer," she replied, placing her tiny hand in mine._

"_It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Dwyer," I said, as I brought her dainty hand to my lips, placing a soft kiss on her knuckles._

_She blushed scarlet and bit her bottom lip. We spent the next twenty minutes talking. We weren't Jasper Hale, up and coming country music superstar, and Isabella Dwyer, America's sweetheart, waiting to be interviewed by Letterman. We were Jasper and Bella, a boy and a girl, talking... flirting. She was called on set first. I watched her on screen as she answered the questions and promoted her newest movie. She was radiant, natural. When it was my turn, she listened intently to the questions I was asked, smiling at me the whole time, like I was the most interesting person she'd ever met. She was so beautiful she took my breath away._

_When I performed, the song I sang was for her._

_After the show, I got the courage to ask her to dinner._

"_Jasper, believe me when I say that I would love to go to dinner with you," she warned. "However, no matter where we go, it will be on every tabloid by morning."_

_We discussed how to get around that and decided to take separate cabs back to the hotel that we were both booked in, and then meet in her suite. _

_We didn't leave that suite for three days. _

_We spent all that time cocooned together, talking, eating, and making love. Even then, the only reason we could pull ourselves away was because we both had other commitments. We promised to schedule some time together as soon as possible._

_She knew how important it was to me that my music to stand on it's own. I didn't want the publicity of a relationship with her to drive record sales. She swore that she wanted privacy too. It was something just for us... At least that's what I thought until the next day, when the story was front page on every tabloid. _

_My phone rang non-stop and my record sales skyrocketed overnight. There were no pictures with the story but I knew from the details that it had come from Bella or me._

_And I certainly hadn't said anything to anyone that would spill the beans._

"_How could you?" I demanded angrily when she called._

"_Jasper, I..." she tried to explain._

"_I don't want to hear it, Isabella. You played me. You did exactly what I didn't want," I fumed at her, using the name she reserved only for the public. "You knew how important it was for me to stand on my own and you ruined it."_

"_I'm sorry," she whimpered._

"_Yeah, me too," I said, closing my phone._

_Sullen. Moody. Asshole. Those were just some of the words used to describe me in the following weeks. Bella tried to call for ten days. I ignored her each and every time. Finally she stopped. My mood did not improve._

_Finally, six weeks after our New York madness, I was the opening act for the biggest name in country music, getting ready for my first major concert._

"_Jasper?" I heard her voice say, ten minutes before show time._

"_Isabella," I snarled as I turned to look at her._

"_Please," she said, looking sad and pale. "I need to speak to you."_

"_I have nothing to say to you," I snarled again, "nor do I want to hear anything you have to say."_

"_Please," she said again, tears filling her big brown eyes._

"_Just go," I said to her, turning away before I lost my will. I would not fall for those chocolate eyes again._

_I heard her start to speak a few times, but finally she thought better of it and turned to leave. I put every emotion I was feeling into my set and the crowd ate it up. After my set, there was a note from her on my dressing room door. I read the first line and crumpled it into a ball and tossed it into the trash._

My star continued to rise as I played to screaming fans for three months on tour, and though my career was soaring, I never stopped thinking of my Bella. The note on the door was the last I heard of her; the last anyone had heard of her. The tabloids still posted stories sometimes with outlandish claims that I knew could never be true. But there were no pictures. In fact, Isabella Dwyer dropped off the radar completely, dropping out of the movie she was supposed to star in and vanishing completely. Her home in the Hollywood Hills was sold and all the talk shows joked that she had moved to Antarctica. She didn't attend any of the award shows, or walk any red carpets. She wasn't even photographed walking her dog or grocery shopping. She simply disappeared.

I was both relieved and disappointed by that.

I didn't know if I could handle seeing her all the time. I didn't want to know if she was with someone new, or lots of someones. It killed me not knowing though. But, for better or worse, she was gone and I was on the fast track to superstardom.

Tonight I was home. Dallas, Texas. Headlining my own show for the first time.

"You're on in five," my manager, Edward, said.

"Right," I said, sighing loudly.

"Come on Jasper," he encouraged. "You gotta get your energy flowing. You have to pump the place up. This is your night. This is your chance to shine! You earned it."

I earned it.

Did I really? Was all my success truly mine... or was this all just a product of my relationship with Isabella Dwyer?

I sighed to myself, before shaking my head to clear my thoughts. All that mattered tonight was me and the music.

I went out on stage, and did my job to perfection. The crowd was incredible, cheering, and singing along with me. I even did two encores, before retiring to my private dressing room. I cleaned up a little so that I didn't look like a hot mess, Edward's words not mine, before the big meet and greet with fans. Once Edward gave the all clear, I stepped out of my dressing room to greet the screaming fans. I posed for pictures, signed t-shirts, and played the perfect Texas gentleman. After an hour, I waved to my fans before stepping back into the peace and quiet of my dressing room, leaving Edward and the stagehands to clear the fans out. I sat in my chair and closed my eyes and sighed. This was what I had always dreamed of. This is what I had worked for, but somehow, it felt empty.

"Do you even know what today is?" a small female voice said from behind me.

I turned around quickly and stared at the invader.

"You aren't supposed to be in here," I responded, ignoring her question. I looked her up and down, trying to figure out how the angry little sprite had managed to get into the room. She was tiny, and had dark, spiky hair, and bright green eyes. Those eyes were not happy or excited as all the fangirls that I had dealt with for the last hour. There was something calculating about the way she looked at me. "An angry pixie," I thought to myself, wondering what I had done to offend her. I contemplated calling security but she was so little I decided to just deal with her by myself. She probably just wanted an autograph or something.

"Do you know what today is?" she growled angrily.

"Look, Lady," I said angrily. What right did she have to be angry with me? She was encroaching on my space. "I don't know who you are or what you want, but I do know what today is. It is the biggest day of my life. It's everything that I have worked towards my whole life."

"You are right on one account," she snarled. "It was the biggest day of your life. But the problem is, you missed it."

"What are you talking about?" I demanded. "Didn't you see me out on stage? I didn't miss anything."

"You missed everything that was important," she snarled. "You may have wowed the crowd, Mr. Perfect Cowboy, but that doesn't mean a thing. Celebrity, fame, glory; at the end of the day they mean nothing! Love, people, family; now that's important."

"Look, Lady," I said angrily. "Don't walk in here and tell me what is and isn't important. I already know."

"Do you?" she asked glaring at me. "If you did, then where were you at 7:15 this morning when your son was born?"

"My son?" I asked, scoffing at her. "You obviously have the wrong person. I don't have any children."

"You are wrong about that, Cowboy. You have a son, a beautiful little boy who looks just like you," she said, crossing her arms.

"Look," I said angrily, not liking the false accusations being thrown at me. "I don't know who you are or what you want, but I am about ten seconds from calling security to haul your crazy ass out of here."

"He has tufts of blonde hair on his head and the bluest eyes you have ever seen on a baby. He has his momma's nose, but everything else is all you," she said, raising her eyebrows as if to challenge me.

"I hate to disappoint you but that is quite impossible," I said to her, turning away. "Now, I have given you enough of my time. You can show yourself out."

"I stayed with her all through labor," she said, ignoring me. "I wiped her brow, gave her ice chips, held her hand, and rejoiced with her when he was finally born after the longest, hardest 20 hours of either of our lives."

"I don't know who told you that he was mine," I said angrily to her. "But it simply isn't possible."

"She didn't tell me a damned thing," the pixie growled. "But as soon as I saw him this morning, I knew."

"You need to leave," I said to her, opening the door to prove my point.

"Elijah Whitlock Swan," she said quietly as she moved towards the door. "Six pounds, ten ounces."

I froze. Swan? That couldn't be!

Well, I guess technically it could be... it really was the only possibility. "Bella..." I said, looking at the pixie. Her chest was heaving and her fists were balled up in fists. "How?"

"Well, you may not be a rocket scientist, Country Boy, but I'm sure you know how babies are made," she replied, still glaring at me.

"Did she send you here?" I asked angrily. How could she try to ruin this for me?

She snorted rather ungraciously before leveling another icy glare my way at me once more. "No. I had hoped she would tell me but she said nothing. It wasn't until after I confronted her with my knowledge, that she cried and told me everything. I told her I was going to come and kick your sorry ass tonight, but she begged me not to say or do anything."

"Yet here you are," I said. "Maybe she didn't want you to confront me because it isn't true."

"Oh it's true," she said. "But a girl can only handle so much rejection from the man she loves."

"Rejection?" I scoffed. "She fucking did the one thing I asked her not to do."

"What? Spill the beans on your relationship?" she asked, placing air quotes around the word relationship.

"Yeah," I said. "She knew what it meant to me to stand on my own."

"You are so self righteous," she said.

"Self righteous?!" I demanded. "How do you figure?"

"You were an insignificant little country bumpkin and Bella was commanding ten million dollars per film. She had her pick of roles and directors. All of Hollywood was at her feet," the pixie growled. "What reason did she have to make anything public?"

"It had to be her," I said. "There is no other option."

"She had no reason for it to go public!" the pixie growled. "She has always been a private person. She lived for it. The only one who had anything to gain from it was you… and ummm… those around you."

"She had to have," I reiterated. "Nobody else knew anything about it except..."

"Except who?" she said, crossing her arms. "Edward Cullen?" She spit his name out like it was the vilest curse word. "Oh, I know all about him. He's your manager and best friend since college, right? But. wait, who is he shacking up with? Oh yeah, that's right... Tanya. And what does Tanya have to do with any of this? Think about it... Tanya Denali...Bella's ex-publicist."

"Ex-publicist?" I asked. I knew that Edward was dating Tanya. I had just never realized that Tanya had represented Bella.

"It was a set up Jasper," she said shaking her head at me like she thought I was stupid. "Think about it. They arranged for you two to be on Letterman together hoping that sparks would fly. You had both been booked into the same hotel, same floor and for three days, when you only needed to be there for one taping. Don't you find that the least bit suspicious?"

"I... I never thought about it," I said with a sad sigh, playing back all the details of that time.

"When do you go on a publicity event without your agent?" she asked.

"That's the only time," I said, starting to believe the angry pixie woman.

"You are so dense! Edward was so anxious to get your name up in lights that he was willing to use any means to do so. Tanya, well Bella had her name in lights, a relationship with you meant nothing for her career. No Tanya had her hand in this because she was so anxious to get Edward."

"He wouldn't do that to me," I said angrily. "He knows how I felt about earning my own way!"

"So Bella would? Think about it! What did she have to gain from your relationship being made public?" Alice asked. "Not a damned thing! But Edward and Tanya... they certainly gained a lot."

"He wouldn't..." I protested, though not as vehemently. I couldn't believe that Edward would do this to me, but the pixie was right. Bella gained nothing from this.

"He did," the pixie confirmed. "She had all the proof but you wouldn't even take her call."

"I can't believe this!" I said, closing the door and falling into a chair again. I scrubbed my hand over my face as I tried to process everything. "I have a son?"

"You have a son," she said.

"What do I do?" I asked nobody in particular.

"That's for you to decide," she said, self-satisfied smirk in place. "But if you want any part in his life you'd better get crawling. You have a lot of kissing up to do if you want any part in his life, especially when you wouldn't even call her yourself. You had to make Edward do it."

"What do you mean?" I asked, feeling absolutely sick.

"After her note. You couldn't even call her yourself," she said. "You had to have your manager do it."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, feeling incredibly confused.

"To tell her you wanted nothing to do with her or the baby. You couldn't even be bothered to make the call yourself," she snarled.

"I didn't even know she was pregnant," I said, staring at the angry pixie again. "She never said a damned thing."

"Of course she didn't SAY anything," she said, looking at me like I was a complete idiot. "You wouldn't take her calls. But she tried to come and see you in person, which you also rebuffed. So finally, she left you a note., hoping to get some response from you. Even then you couldn't respond yourself, taking the chicken's way out and making your manager call her."

"I never made anyone call her. I got her note, but I never read it," I said, putting my head in my hands. "I threw it in the garbage... I was so angry..."

"You didn't read it?" she asked, sounding almost sympathetic for a moment.

"No," I said. "I was angry. I was betrayed. I didn't know..." She stared at me, as if she was going to get more information from me that what I was saying.

"Well, now you do," she said finally.

"I have a son?" I asked, letting it really soak in.

"And I have a broken hearted best friend," she said.

"I can't believe Edward would call her and say nothing to me," I said. "What did he say to her?"

"He would and he did," she said. "He left a wonderful voicemail on Bella's machine. He told her to take care of things and that you wanted nothing to do with her or 'the mistake she was trying to pin on you'."

"Oh God!" I said, standing and beginning to pace. "You can't be serious."

"Dead serious," she said, her little fists balled up. "I listened to it myself this morning."

"I... She... Oh God! She must hate me."

"I know I do," she said, glaring at me, before sighing. "But as much as I despise you. I love her, and my nephew. I have watched her pining for you for months. I was there when she fired Tanya. I was there when she gave up all her career commitments to try to keep the tabloids from finding out about her pregnancy, to make things easier on you. I followed her as she sold her California dream house and bought a little ranch outside of Dallas so 'her child would be raised with southern values'. And I held her as she cried over and over again that her son would never have a chance to know his daddy."

"What do I do?" I asked her. "I messed this up so bad."

"That's up to you. I'm going home to sleep. She's at Medical City, room 1704. I'm sure the nurses will take one look at you and let you right in... if not, there's a password... Whitlock."

Whitlock. My real name. The name Edward had said wasn't 'star material'. I don't even remember the angry pixie leaving, or even how much time passed before Edward knocked on my door. As soon as he stuck his head in, I felt my anger rise.

"Jasper," he said happily. "You killed it!"

"Thanks," I said, trying to figure out what to do or say to him.

"God! You should be on top of the world right now and not this sullen, moping little dickhead. You got betrayed by a woman, so write a song about it and move on," he said, clapping me on the back. "You gotta get over this shit."

"What?" I asked him.

"Oh come on, Jasper-man. You've been like this since everything that went down with that actress chick," he said.

"Bella," I told him. "Like you don't know."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked defensively.

"Why didn't you come to New York with me?" I asked him.

"I was busy," he replied quickly.

"Why was I there for three days?" I asked him again.

"It was just the way the flights worked out," he said again.

"You're telling me I couldn't have gotten home from New York the next day?" I asked him.

"Yes... no," he said. "I don't remember Jasper. It was a long time ago."

"Maybe Tanya will remember," I said to him.

"Why would she..." he started to ask.

"She represented Bella at the time, didn't she?" I asked, interrupting him.

"I..." he said, his eyes the size of saucers.

"You set me up," I said to him.

"I thought you two would hit it off," he sputtered. "I didn't know..."

"You knew how important it was for me to stand on my own and you set me up. Then you were the one who released the information to the tabloids. You knew how hurt and angry I was. I blamed her, Man, and you let me. Instead of standing up and saying it was you, you let me blame her. I trusted you!"

"Jasper," he said. "I didn't know. I didn't know that you wouldn't want it publicized. I thought it would help..."

"And when I pushed her away. When I was hurt and feeling betrayed you sat there and comforted me..." I said, truly wanting to hit him.

"Jasper..." he said.

"Edward, just stop," I said.

"Jasper," he said.

"When she came to see me, that night. You read her note. What did it say?" I asked him.

"Jasper, I'm sure I have no clue. You threw it away," he started to sputter.

"And I never told you that. The only way you could know is if you saw it in the trash," I said. "I know you read it. What did it say?"

"Jasper..." he said. "You have to understand. I had your best interests at heart."

"Did you? So keeping the fact that she was pregnant from me was in my best interest?" I challenged.

"Who knows if it was even yours," he sputtered. "You don't know those Hollywood types like I do."

"I knew Bella," I said. "I should have been given the choice."

"You threw the letter away," he said.

"And you called her and told her that I wanted nothing to do with the mistake?" I asked him. "You had no right!"

"Jasper, you didn't want to see her," he sputtered.

"And you encouraged that. You knew that she knew the truth and that if I spoke to her that I would too," I said to him.

"Jasper, look where you are. You don't need a scandal. A bastard child..." he said.

"Get out!" I said, staring at him. "I don't even know you. Get out and never come back. I don't ever want to see you again. You're fired."

"Jasper, you can't..." he said.

"I can and I did," I said.

"Jasper, we've been friends for years," he sputtered, blanching visibly. "You can't just throw that away."

"I didn't throw anything away, Edward. That was all you," I snarled. "You went against my wishes, you lied to my face, and you hid the fact that I was about to be a father from me... You are not the honest, trustworthy friend that I've trusted for years. You're nothing."

"I..." he started trying to explain

"Goodbye." With that I stood up, grabbed my cowboy hat and marched out of the room. I stepped out of the dressing room and headed out the back door. I hailed a taxi and headed for Medical City.

It was almost midnight when the taxi pulled up to the entrance. I almost decided to chicken out and wait for morning, but the thought of waiting one more minute to see her, to apologize for everything, was too much to bear. The corridors were mostly deserted and I made my way up to the maternity floor without an issue. The lights were low in the unit and there was one lone nurse at the desk.

"Hi there," I said to her. "I'm looking for room 1704."

"Visiting hours are over," she said, barely even looking up at me. "It's almost midnight."

"Yes Ma'am," I said to her. "I... My name is Jasper Whitlock."

"Whitlock?" she said, raising her eyebrows and actually looking at me.

"Yes, Ma'am," I said, pulling out my wallet and showing her my Texas Driver's license.

"Are you that boy's daddy?" she asked.

"Yes Ma'am," I said.

"Right down the hall, last door on your left," she said. "Don't make me regret it."

"I swear," I said, praying I was telling the truth.

I walked down the hall with my hat in my hands and knocked gently on the door. There was no answer so I pushed it open far enough to peek inside. There was a soft light on in the corner of the room and I could see Bella asleep in the bed. Her beautiful mahogany hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, and there wasn't a trace of make-up on her face. She was still the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I stepped in quietly and stood next to her, drinking her in. Then I saw movement to her left, in the little plastic bed beside her. Her son. My son. Our son. I moved over to him, compelled to take a look. He was awake, his little eyes blinking rapidly as they tried to adjust to the light. Alice was right. Looking at him, there was no doubt that he was my son, not that I had any before walking into the room. He started to fuss as his little face scrunched up and I just followed my instincts and leaned in and picked him up.

"Hey," I whispered to him, once I had him nestled into the crook of my arm. "I'm your daddy."


	2. Chapter 2 - BPOV

**Thank you for your reviews so far! I am finding all sorts of stories that I wrote eons ago on my old computer as the hard drive gets recovered. So happy to see that everyone is enjoying!**

**BPOV**

"Here's your son," the nurse cooed, placing my baby in my arms, allowing me to really look at him for the first time. Tears pooled in the corner of my eyes once more, as I noticed just how much he looked like his daddy.

"He has beautiful eyes," the nurse cooed again. "Most babies have a muddy blue color, but his eyes are stunning."

I looked up at her and smiled in acknowledgement. Of course his eyes were beautiful. He had Jasper's eyes. They were stunning. I looked down at my tiny son, and the tears spilled down my cheeks. Alice moved close to me to look at him and I noticed her eyes getting as big as saucers. She saw it too. I knew that she had long suspected that Jasper was his father, but I never confirmed or denied anything. Honestly, I didn't know what to say.

Alice, being the awesome best friend that she had always been, was my rock. We had been friends long before our glory days, mine in the movies and hers in fashion. In fact, I think we were still in diapers when we met. Even when we were at our busiest, we spoke at least twice a week and visited whenever possible. Once I told her that I was pregnant and was moving to Texas, she was on the next flight. She mostly worked from her home office at my new house and travelled as little as possible. She had been at all my appointments, lamaze classes, and spent the last twenty hours as my rock, getting me through when I wanted to give up. I wondered how long she was going to wait to ask about Jasper.

Once the doctor and nurses were done everything they need to do, I was transferred to a private room on the maternity floor. A nurse bustled around the room as Alice sat in a chair across from me and stared.

"What's his name, Honey?" the nurse asked after I had finished nursing.

"Elijah Whitlock Swan," I said to her, smiling sadly.

"What a beautiful name," she said. "It suits him perfectly."

"Thank you," I said as she prepared to leave the room. I could feel Alice vibrating beside me and I knew it wouldn't be long before she asked. I was right. The door had barely closed on my room when she couldn't take it any longer.

"Jasper Hale?" she asked. "I knew it Bella. I knew it."

"Yes, Alice. Jasper is his father," I said, rubbing my finger across Eli's little cheek.

"What are you going to do now? When are you going to tell him?" she asked.

I didn't look up from my son as I answered her. "He knows Al. He doesn't want anything to do with us."

"WHAT?" she whisper-yelled. "What did he say?"

"He didn't say anything Alice," I said to her. I told her the whole story, from meeting Jasper and spending the three days cooped up in my room together to the drama that followed. I even told her how I discovered my manager Tanya's deceit and the involvement Jasper's manager and best friend, Edward, played in it. I told her how I had tried to call and even showed up at his concert to talk to him, finally leaving him a note.

"How do you know he got it?" she asked.

"Edward," I answered, looking at my son. "Jasper couldn't even be bothered to call for himself. He had Edward do it."

I played her the recording Edward had left on my voicemail and she let loose with some very colorful words. "I'm gonna kick that country boy's ass," she growled.

"Alice, please," I said to her. "Just leave it."

"Bella," she whined.

"No, Alice," I said. "He didn't want us. Alice, it wasn't just a fling for me. I was... I am in love with Jasper. I can't face that rejection again."

"But, Bella..." she said.

"Promise me, Alice," I said to her. "Promise me you won't do anything. I'm okay. It's me and Eli, and we're going to be okay."

"What about work?" she asked me. "The rumor was out there, Bella. People will see him and know."

"I'm not going back," I told her.

"What?" she demanded. "You're giving up everything for Jasper?"

"No Al," I sighed. "I'm giving up everything for Eli. I did what I wanted; I made it in Hollywood. And you and I both know I was smart with my money. Between what I made and saved and the residuals I'll get, I won't ever have to work again."

"Won't you miss it?" she asked.

"I always knew that once I was a mom, I'd quit," I said still cuddling my son. "I never expected it to happen this soon, or in this way, but I won't pack my kids up and cart them all over the world with me, or God forbid, leave them home to be raised by nannies. I never wanted that."

"You're gonna be the best mom, Bella," Alice said.

We talked for a little longer before the weight of the day caught up with me. After feeding Eli again, I settled him into his little plastic bed and tried to catch a little bit of sleep. When I woke up again, the room was filled with at least six floral arrangements and probably 20 blue balloons.

"Alice," I sighed as she grinned guiltily.

"It wasn't all me," she said. "Your dad sent those, and Jake sent the balloons attached to the big bear. Even your mom sent you some flowers."

"Wow," I said looking around.

"Your dad and Sue said they'll come and visit once you and the little man have some time to settle in at home," she said. "And Jake will pop down for a visit after the Oscars."

"Who's hair is he styling this time?" I asked her, knowing that Jake would have somebody fantastic to worry about.

We chatted for a long time and Alice ordered both lunch and dinner from a local restaurants. The nurses and doctor were in and out of the room checking on me and Eli throughout the day, making sure that I wasn't having any issues nursing him or anything. It was shortly after 7:00 when Alice decided to head out to catch up on some sleep. When I was alone with Eli, I let the tears fall again as I told him about his father.

"I'm not going to be able to tell you about your daddy when you get older," I said to him. "But right now I need to tell you what happened. I tried Eli, really I did. He just... He wanted more than me."

My son's bright blue eyes started to close as I bored him with the G-rated version of the three most perfect days in my history, at least until today.

"I loved him, Eli, with all my heart and soul. I didn't tell him though. It was too soon," I said to my sleeping newborn. "He was the most beautiful man I have ever met, both inside and out. His southern manners and gentle spirit… I thought we had found something real. I even came to Texas because I wanted that for you. I want you to grow up to be just like your daddy. Even in the end, he just couldn't see to blame Edward because he was a friend. I just... I thought he'd at least want to know you. Maybe... Maybe one day, Eli."

I spent the rest of the evening just enjoying my little man and trying to relax. My whole body felt like I'd been hit by a truck; especially my lady bits. The nurse came in at 11:00 as I was nursing him.

"Are you sure he's your first baby? You look like an old pro at that," she said.

"He's the pro," I said, stroking Eli's cheek.

"He sure is a beautiful baby. I can see you in him, but his daddy must be a real looker too. Those baby blue eyes must come right from him," she said.

"And his blonde hair," I said, pulling off Eli's little cap. "I thought for sure he'd have my hair color."

"You should let me take him to the nursery tonight so you can get some sleep," she said. "Might be your last chance for a while."

"If it's all the same, I'd like to keep him with me," I said. "I'm not ready to let him go."

"It's up to you, Sugar," she said sweetly. "If you change your mind, you just give us a call. The buzzer is right there."

"Thank you," I told her. I finished feeding Eli and burped him before placing him in his little plastic bed. I turned the room lights low and closed my eyes. I certainly needed my rest.

When I opened them again, I looked over to the little bassinet to admire my son some more. He wasn't there and I sat up like a shot, blinking my eyes madly. When I saw where he was I blinked some more and then pinched myself for good measure. Jasper was sleeping in a chair on the far side of the room with Eli snuggled against his chest.

I picked up my cell phone from the side table and checked the time, and to see if the little traitor I called my best friend had left me a message. It was a little after 3:00am and there was nothing. I quickly typed a message to her while I tried to decide what to do.

**You have a lot of explaining to do. You promised you wouldn't talk to Jasper and yet he's in my room asleep holding our son. What the hell am I supposed to do now? - B**

I didn't really expect her to respond. When Alice slept, she slept hard. I was surprised with a response before I even managed to put the phone down.

**Talk to him. He says he didn't read your note. He didn't even know about Eli. - A**

I thought of my response to her as I looked at Jasper and Eli. Was this what I wanted? I had spent so long thinking that Jasper didn't want us that I didn't even really consider what I wanted.

**He didn't trust me, Al. He didn't even give me a chance. - B**

I was so confused.

**Wake him up and talk to him, then thank me later. Good night – A**

I put my phone down but didn't listen to Alice. I wasn't ready to talk to Jasper. That didn't stop me from staring at him though. I don't even know how long I had been staring when Eli started to stir. I stood quickly and made my way across the room, thankful that Alice had insisted I bring my own jammies rather than deal with a hospital gown. I hoped I could take Eli from Jasper without him waking up. Call me a chicken, but I wasn't ready for the conversation we'd need to have. I actually managed to pick Eli up before Jasper woke with a start. We were eye to eye, faces just inches apart, just staring at each other in shock. I recovered first.

"Hi," I said to him, as I pulled back, taking Eli with me. I retreated to my bed, holding Eli tight to my chest. My heart was beating out of my chest.

"Hey," Jasper said, looking like he wanted to throw up. "He was awake when I came in. I just thought I'd hold him for a minute and let you try to get a little more rest."

"Thanks," I said. Talk about tiptoeing around the elephant in the room.

I quickly set to work changing Eli's diaper and swaddling him back in his little blue blanket. I chewed my bottom lip mercilessly as I grabbed a second blanket and set it over my shoulder while I prepared to feed him. Jasper stayed quiet but I could feel his eyes on me. I avoided looking at him by any means possible. Once Eli was comfortably nursing, if that could be considered comfortable, there was nothing else I could think of to avoid Jasper.

"Jasper," I said at the same time as he said, "Bella."

"You go first," I said.

"I know it was Edward who put the story out," he said. "I just found out tonight."

"Alice," I said with a sigh.

"Alice?" he asked.

"Short, annoying little pixie with short dark hair," I said, describing Alice to the best of my abilities.

He laughed slightly and smiled. "I never knew her name. I just referred to her as the pixie."

"Don't tell her that," I said.

"She certainly didn't hesitate to put me in my place," he said. "I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am."

"I'm glad you know," I said honestly, not knowing what else to say.

"Me too, Bella," he said. "I feel like such an ass. I was so hurt, so angry. I never even imagined that Edward could have betrayed me. I thought I knew him. I trusted him."

"So you blamed me?' I asked, though I already knew the answer.

"I couldn't understand it. I had never felt anything like I felt with you. I though... It was so real. But then there were details everywhere... I just... I couldn't see any other way it could have happened. I thought you had played me. I was falling in love with you, Bella. I just... I couldn't understand how you could have betrayed me, unless you didn't feel the same."

"You were falling in love with me?" I asked, feeling tears starting to well up again.

"Even after I blamed you and forced you out of my life. I tried to forget you. I tried to get over this. It should have been easy. I mean... we had three days together, that was it, three days. But I couldn't forget you. Edward and Tanya even tried to set me up on dates, but I either no-showed or acted like a complete asshole until she left. Every thought was you, and I just couldn't move on."

"Me neither," I said, opening up. "I should have been so angry with you, and believe me there were times that I was. You wouldn't even give me a chance to explain. And then, when I found out I was pregnant... it was the same day I knew for sure that Edward and Tanya had released the information to the media. I dropped out of the movie, fired Tanya, and went to see you. I thought if you saw me in person that you might actually speak to me. When you wouldn't, I wrote you that note. I hoped you'd call, let me explain... but when Edward called telling me you weren't interested and wanted nothing to do with me or the baby..."

"I never read it, Bella. I'm so sorry I didn't. No matter what I never would have had Edward call. I confronted him tonight. Fired him as my manager and as my friend. Not only did he break my trust in the first place, he lied to me for the past nine months, and kept me from you. Both of you."

"What are you saying?" I asked, still uncertain of what was happening.

"If I had known that you were pregnant, you have to know I would have owned up. I would have taken responsibility..."

"Is that what this is?" I asked, cradling Eli closer to me. "Your responsibility? I don't what to be anybody's burden. He doesn't need to be your burden. He..."

"No!" Jasper almost yelped. "Bella, please. I'm not explaining this very well."

"Then tell me what you mean," I demanded, fighting back tears.

"If I had known, I would have spoken to you out of duty," he said. "But there is so much more than that. Do you want to know why I wouldn't speak to you? Why I refused to see you..."

"Please," I said.

"I couldn't have seen you and walked away. I couldn't have spoken to you, and moved on, no matter what the truth was. And that was not even taking your pregnancy and our child into effect. I was foolish and prideful, and in doing that I chased away the best thing that has ever happened to me. Bella, I love you. I went about it all wrong and treated you terribly. I will do anything in my power to fix this. I want to be there for you always, for both of you."

"Take that back," I said to him, tears coursing down my cheeks. "You take that back right this minute if you don't mean it, Jasper Whitlock."

"Bella," he said, moving over to the bed, and taking my hand. "I mean every word of it, Darlin'. I have been miserable and lost without you. Concerts and fame and money meant nothing anymore. Tonight was the biggest night of my career and it was empty until the pixie walked in and set me straight."

"I'm scared, Jasper," I said to him.

"I'm here," he promised.

"What if you leave again?" I said. "I don't think I could stand it."

"Not without you," he said. "I will never leave you again, not even if you throw me out. I want to be the man who makes you smile and holds you when you cry. I want to wake up and see you every morning and kiss you every night. I want to be his daddy and teach him all the things that my daddy taught me and fill a house with his brothers and sisters."

"But..." I started to say.

"I made a huge mistake, Bella. I promise with everything I am, that I will be there for you forever."

"I'm so scared," I told him, looking up into his eyes. "I can't promise it'll be easy, but I want to try. I love you Jasper Whitlock. I'm giving you my heart... Please don't break it."

"Never," he swore

We spoke for a little while longer, as Eli finished his meal. Working out where we would go from here. Once Eli had finished eating, Jasper burped him and placed him in his bed, insisting I try to get some more sleep. I agreed, only if he promised to try to do the same. I shifted over in the bed and made room for him.

"There's a chair," he protested.

"It didn't look comfortable last time you slept in it," I said.

"It wasn't," he agreed. "But you're the one that needs your rest. You're the one that just had a baby and..."

"Please," I said, patting the bed.

"You have to promise me that you will kick me out if you aren't comfortable," he said.

"Agreed," I said quickly. He slipped off his cowboy boots and tossed his hat on the chair. The curly blonde locks fell in his face momentarily and he reached out to push them back, but my hand beat him to it.

"Thanks," he said, grabbing my hand as I pulled it back and lacing it with his. "Get some sleep, Darlin'. If this boy is anything like me, you won't be getting a lot for the next eighteen years. Just ask my mama."

"I'd like that," I said, as I rested my head against his shoulder. The emotional and physical exhaustion of the day had finally caught up with me.

"Like what?" he asked.

"Meeting your mama," I said, stifling a yawn.

"Darlin', when she finds out that she has a grandson, wild horses will not keep her away," he said with a chuckle.

Three hours later, I was awoken by the sound of a clicking camera. Fear jolted my eyes open, thinking that perhaps some paparazzi had managed to find me after all this time. I realized I was snuggled into Japer's hard chest and I pulled away looking for the camera.

"Alice!" I whisper yelled at her as my eyes met the grinning pixie's.

"I didn't mean to wake you," she said. "You just looked so content."

"I'm mad at you," I said to her.

"No you're not," she said, smiling smugly.

"No," I said. "Not completely. But I am ticked. I should have been the one..."

"But you wouldn't," Alice said. "I know you, Bells. You have been pinning over him for months and I just wanted you to be happy."

"Alice..." I said, not even sure where to go.

"Get some more rest," she said. "I'll go find you guys some breakfast."

I lay back again, resting my head against Jasper's chest, inhaling his scent, and allowing my eyes to close. It wasn't long before Eli woke to be fed again. Jasper moved from under me to take him out of his little bed.

"Hey, Little Man," he greeted. "Let's see if I can do this diaper thing before we wake your momma."

I opened my eyes slowly and watched as Jasper moved to unwrap Eli. Once he had unsnapped the little jammies and unfastened the diaper, he slowed down and moved more cautiously. Still he managed to get him diapered and redressed. The swaddling, however, was not working as well.

"Sorry, Buddy," he said to Eli. "I don't quite know how the blanket works."

"I'll show you," I said, my voice still foggy from sleep.

"Did we wake you?" Jasper asked. "I was trying to let you get a few more minutes of sleep."

"It's okay," I said, moving out of the bed towards them. "Let me show you how to swaddle him."

I took my time showing Jasper how to wrap him properly before settling back to feed him. Jasper excused himself to use the bathroom while Eli ate and when he returned he smiled at me.

"You are so beautiful," he said.

"How can you say that?" I asked him. "My hair is a mess, I have no makeup on and I just had a baby 24 hours ago."

"And you are still the most beautiful woman I have ever seen," he added. "You're the most incredible woman I've ever met. I still don't understand why you didn't turf me out on my ear last night."

"I understand it, Jasper," I said to him. "You and Edward had been friends for years, and you trusted that he would never betray you."

"But I blamed you, Bella," he said. "I should have at least listened to you. I should have trusted you. Right off the bat you were honest about the paparazzi so I should have known..."

"But you didn't," I said. "Jasper, we can't change the past. I should have known not to trust Edward when he called. I should have sought you out and told you about the pregnancy myself, but I took Edward's word for it when I already knew he had betrayed you. We can play the could've, should've, would've game forever but we can't change what happened. We're here now and moving forward."

Jasper opened his mouth to speak but his cell phone started blaring from the small table near the chair he had been sleeping on when I first saw him six hours previously.

He smiled softly and went to pick up his phone. He looked at the caller ID, shook his head an answered it, putting it on speaker immediately. "Hello," he said, smiling at me.

"Is it true?" a female voice asked.

"Hello, Mama," he said, groaning slightly. "Now, can you please fill me in as to what you are talking about, because your question told me nothing."

"It's all over the news that that you and that actress are going to be parents," she said.

"Edward," he growled.

"Is it true?" she asked again, her voice loud in the quiet hospital room.

"Her name is Bella, Mom," he said. "And it's not exactly true."

"What do you mean, not exactly?" she asked. He looked at me, his eyes begging me to give him permission to share with his mom. I nodded my head.

"We aren't going to be parents," I said. "We are parents."

"What?" she asked. "What do you mean? You'd better start explaining Jasper Hale Whitlock!"

He took a deep breath and started explaining from the beginning. He told her that we had met and fallen in love. He told her about the issues with Edward and Tanya, and even went on to explain Alice's role in it all.

"What are you doing to make this right?" she demanded. "I expect to be able to meet my grandson. You better fix it so I can."

"I am sittin' here with Bella and Eli now," he said. "I'm sure that when things settle a bit, we'll let you know where you can come and meet him."

"Eli?" she asked.

"Elijah," Jasper said. We had already talked about changing his name. He really wanted his son to carry his last name, and not simply as a middle name.

"Are you back in California then?" she asked, sounding flustered.

"No, Mama," he replied. "Bella and Eli are here in Dallas."

"Today, Jasper," she said. "You make sure I meet them today. I have to go tell your daddy. A grandson. We have a grandson... and you'd better call your sister and Emmett."

"So," he said as he hung up the phone. "That was my momma. She's a little over-excitable.."

"I heard," I said with a little giggle. "So Edward went to the press?"

"Apparently the story is all over the place already," he said sounding completely frustrated.

"But they didn't know he's been born yet?" I asked.

"Apparently not," he said.

"Then we have a few hours to get out of here and back to my ranch," I said. "I'll call Alice."

"Why are you calling me?" Alice asked walking into the room with her arms full of bags.

"Edward," Jasper growled.

"Again?" she asked. "Okay, here's the game plan. Bella, go shower and get ready to go. I'll get the doctor and get the release paperwork started. Jasper, you take care of Eli."

I handed Eli to Jasper and pecked them both on the cheek. Jasper was looking a little stunned by Hurricane Alice as she began to move around the room to collect everything. I had a quick shower and brushed my teeth and hair before pulling on the yoga pants and t-shirt that I had brought to wear home. When I got out of the bathroom, Jasper and Eli were sitting in the same place, though Jasper's eyes were wide with shock. The rest of the room was empty, except for Eli's car seat sitting on my bed.

"Alice?" I asked him, snickering.

"Would it be wrong of me to say she scares me?" he asked.

"Not at all," I said, chuckling. "She scares me too."

Alice marched into the room with the doctor in tow. I signed the release papers and turned to Jasper with the birth certificate. "Ready?" I asked him, looking down at the form. He nodded and cuddled Eli closer to him. I carefully filled in both spots for the parents, happy to not have to write UNKNOWN into the father section. Then I filled in the baby's name; Elijah Jasper Whitlock. We both signed it and then we buckled Eli into his car seat. Alice grabbed the last of my things and Jasper took Eli's car seat. I refused the wheelchair and we walked out of the hospital room twenty five minutes after we heard the news.

Thanks to Alice, my SUV was parked right by the staff entrance and with very little fuss we had Eli's car seat snapped in.

"Take the keys, Jasper," Alice said with an evil smile. "I have things to do. I'll grab my car and meet you two at the ranch later."

I knew better than to question her when she had that look on her face. Jasper started to ask and I promised him that we likely didn't want to know. Five minutes later, I was directing Jasper through Dallas morning traffic. I turned the radio on to a local station to get a traffic report. Not two minutes later...

_So, I know a lot of our listeners attended Jasper Hale's concert in Dallas last night. The sold out show was incredible and I'm sure he's celebrating his magnificent success. This morning, sources say that he has more to celebrate as he and actress Isabella Dwyer are apparently expecting their first baby in the next month. If you all remember they met on the set of the Letterman show almost a year ago. Isabella has been notably absent from the tabloids since and dropped out of two film projects she was scheduled to shoot this year._

"At least they have the story mostly straight," I said with a sigh. "I'm sorry, Jasper. An incredible concert and yet it's completely overshadowed."

"I'm not sorry," he said. "After I lost you I realized that fame and success are hollow and empty. You and Eli, that's what's important."

The radio started playing one of Jasper's songs and he reached over to turn it off. We drove the rest of the way to the ranch in relative silence, other than the few directions I gave him. As he turned into the long drive he chuckled.

"What's so funny?" I asked him.

"We're less than twenty minutes from where I grew up," he said.

"Is that where your parents still live?" I asked him.

"Yup," he said. "As soon as my mama figures that out she'll be wanting to be here all the time."

"I don't think I have a problem with that," I said to him. He fell silent for a long time and I began to wonder if I had said something wrong.

Once we arrived at the house, Jasper helped me out of the car, and up the three front steps, before taking Elijah out of the car and following me up the stairs. I hadn't truly realized how sore I was until then. Once inside, I made my way to the sitting room and dropped onto the sofa. Jasper placed the car seat on the little table in front of me and looked at me like he wanted to ask something.

"What's on your mind, Cowboy?" I asked him, somewhat playfully, though I felt anything but. I felt like something shifted when we spoke of his mother and I didn't know what was happening. My heart was beating a mile a minute.

"I don't know what I'm doing here," he said softly.

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. He didn't want to be here. He had tried and decided it wasn't for him. I hadn't realized how attached I was getting to the idea of having Jasper in my life, in our lives, until he said that and I vowed to not cry, not make him stay out of guilt or duty. I mustered up every ounce of what I had learned from my years of acting and turned to face him.

"Then go," I said, shrugging my shoulders, trying to seem nonchalant. My insides were twisting painfully and I could feel the tears rushing to the surface. I stood up and moved towards Eli, busying myself with getting him out of his seat.

"What?" he asked incredulously. I could feel his eyes on me but I couldn't turn to face him, so I focused on my son.

"We'll make up some story to the press. Tell them Edward was lying... You can get back to your life, to what makes you happy. I'll be fine. We'll be fine," I said, stumbling over my words, trying to get them out before the floodgates opened. Eli didn't even wake as I lifted him into my arms, cradling him against me as though he were a lifeline.

"No!" Jasper said. "Bella, no! Please!"

I didn't understand why he was protesting; I said the words to release him. I didn't know if I could say them again. I was fighting to remain calm but I knew it was a losing battle.

"Be happy, Jasper," I said, almost choking the words out. I knew that they were the final words I could say without losing it completely and begging him to reconsider.

"You make me happy," he said. "You and Eli mean everything to me."

"How can you say that when you don't even want to be here?" I asked, as the floodgates opened and choking sobs interrupted the words.

"Is that what you thought?" he asked as he pulled me into his arms carefully with Eli cradled gently between us. "If I never stand on a stage again I'd be perfectly happy. You are my life Bella Swan. I don't deserve it but I will do anything to prove it to you. You are all I ever wanted or needed."

With that he lowered his head and placed a kiss on my lips.

_**JUST AN EPILOGUE TO GO! **_


	3. Chapter 3 - EPI

EPILOGUE:

Mary Alice Brandon was a force to be reckoned with. Nobody, but nobody threatened those she loved without consequence. Tanya had simply been living on borrowed time since the details came out about Bella and Jasper. And Edward's fate was sealed with the terrible voicemail, and releasing the fact that I was pregnant.

Jasper and I spent the morning getting reacquainted with each other and getting to know our son. We were actually all cuddled on the couch when Alice came bursting through the door like a woman possessed.

"We need to move quickly," she said. "Jasper, take the baby."

I was dragged upstairs and forced into yet another shower. Once I was out, Alice was ready with a blow dryer and her make-up kit. Once I was presentable, she opened a bag and pulled out some jeans and a white blouse, telling me to get dressed.

"What shoes do I wear?" I asked her, knowing that she must have some reason for this torture session the day after I had given birth.

"Barefoot," she said.

Once I was presentable she gave me a bag for Eli and sent me to get him ready. Telling me to send Jasper up to shower next.

"Hey," I said to Jasper as I entered the room.

"Woah!" he said. "You look amazing!"

"Thank you," I said, kissing his lips before plucking Eli from his chest. "Apparently it's your turn next." He walked up the stairs slowly, not certain that he was ready to face the little pixie whirlwind. Since it was close to Eli's lunchtime, I fed him before dressing him in the tiniest pair of overalls I had ever seen.

Jasper came downstairs moments later, dressed the same way I was, but with his cowboy hat and boots on.

"Sorry, darling," he said to me. "The pixie tornado and I had a little difference of opinion up there."

"Uh oh," I said, smiling at him.

"She'll get over it," he said with a shrug and a sly smile.

"You actually won an argument with Alice?" I asked him.

"Your bare feet may be sexy, Darlin," he said. "But I prefer to keep my boots on."

I laughed at him and smiled as I could hear Alice bustling around upstairs. She clomped down the stairs a moment later and glared at Jasper before heading for the door.

"Let's go," she said.

I bundled Eli in a blanket and followed Alice outside with Jasper at my side, his warm palm on the small of my back. The Texas sunshine was in full effect as she led us across the lawn to the far side of the big red barn, which was used for nothing more than show at the moment. When we got there, there were at least seven people milling about, causing me to stop short.

"Alice!" I whisper yelled at my best friend. "What is this?"

"The best defense is a good offense," Alice said. "We can't say that Edward is lying, because he isn't, but we can still make him look like a fool. Both Tanya and Edward put out the statement on your behalf and we need to have a big show of something to make them look like fools."

"So we sit for a major photo shoot?" I asked her. "What does that prove?"

"People magazine usually goes to print this morning," Alice said. "I managed to get them to hold off until this afternoon with the promise of a photo shoot and an interview with the two of you. It will still be on newsstands tomorrow."

"An interview?" I choked. "ALICE!"

"The questions were all chosen by yours truly," Alice said. "They can ask you about your disappearance…. Wanting to keep your privacy during your pregnancy. They can ask about how you met, about your future plans and about the statement made by your ex-representatives moonlighting as your current representatives."

"What do you think Jasper?" I asked him. He hadn't wanted to be tabloid fodder, and here we were selling ourselves to the devil.

"I think it really is the only way," Jasper said, putting his arm around me.

"We're trusting you, Ali," I said with a sigh.

"Good," she said.

The photo shoot went off without a hitch. In fact, we smiled and laughed throughout most of it. At the end, we invited the interviewer inside while the photographer went to work getting the pictures edited. I changed Eli into a soft white sleeper and sat on the couch next to Jasper.

"Thank you for taking the time to meet with us today," he said.

"It's our pleasure," Jasper said. He had his arm around me and his thumb was rubbing soothing circles into my side.

"Congratulations on the birth of your son," he said.

"Thank you," we said in unison.

"First question," he said. "Did you leave Hollywood to keep your pregnancy a secret?"

"For the most part," I said. "Yes."

"What does for the most part mean?" he asked.

"I never planned on being a Hollywood parent," I said. "Family values have always been important to me… to both of us. I knew that I would give it all up when I became a mother."

"Are you saying that being a Hollywood mother is a bad thing?" he asked.

Alice cleared her throat and glared at the reporter. "Never min…" he began to say.

"No," I replied. "It isn't a bad thing at all. It just isn't my thing. Having my mother home for me was the greatest gift I could have asked for as a child. She passed away just before my tenth birthday but the memories we made in the time we had were invaluable. I want to be there to make those memories with Eli."

"So you won't ever return to Hollywood?" he asked, shocked.

"No," I said. "I accomplished what I wanted to."

"Really?" he asked. "You are one of the most accomplished actresses of our generation and you are going to walk away from it all."

"Without batting an eyelash," I said. "What I have now with Eli and Jasper means more to me than any movie script or award."

"What about you Jasper?" he asked. "Are you giving up preforming as well?"

"Giving it up?" he said. "No. But I won't be living my life based on the industry. I want to be here for Bella and our son. The projects that I choose to participate in will be joint decisions."

"Now what in the world is going on with your agents Edward Cullen and Tanya Denali?" he asked.

"Tanya Denali stopped representing me eight months ago," I said. "I terminated our contract legally based on the lies and deceit that she perpetrated, releasing information that I asked her to keep on the down low."

"And why would she go against your wishes?" he asked.

"For Edward Cullen," Jasper said.

We went on to explain everything that Edward had done, glossing over a few facts along the way, ending with Edward being fired by Jasper yesterday when the full extent of his deceit became known.

By the next morning, Jasper and I were front and center on People Magazine, and both Tanya and Edward were most assuredly never to work in Hollywood again. They tried to counter our story with one of their own, stating that Jasper never wanted our son and never even made it to the hospital. Alice countered with the picture she had taken at the hospital and a quick statement to the hospital on our behalf, thanking them for their discretion.

Then we filed the lawsuits.

Misrepresentation. Breech of contract. Breech of trust. Heavy words and heavier fines. Last I heard the two were completely broke and had headed to Alaska. Apparently they were running some sort of bed and breakfast or something because their names were mud everywhere else.

I never went back to Hollywood, never set foot on a movie set again. And I didn't miss it. I had everything I wanted and needed. The media hounded us for a little while, but there was simply nothing to report. We were so blissfully happy with our little family that we lost all interest to them.

Elizabeth and Matthew Whitlock arrived that first evening to visit for the first time. I insisted that it had to happen that way, even though Jasper insisted that I needed to rest, because I didn't want them to see their grandson for the first time on the cover of a magazine. Jasper relented and called. They arrived 20 minutes later with dinner and armloads of presents, as well as Jasper's twin sister and her husband.

I loved them all.

Jasper went back, eventually, finally agreeing to tour when Eli was eleven months old, only on the condition that Eli and I joined him the whole way. We did, and after a show in Las Vegas, three days before Eli's first birthday, we were hitched in a little chapel by the worst Elvis impersonator ever. It was perfect.

I assumed that my in-laws would have been upset that we didn't have a massive ceremony. However, Elizabeth and Matthew Whitlock surprised me by being absolutely delighted that we were legally married, no matter who performed the ceremony. They did, however, throw us a big party when we arrived home after the tour. It was an amazing evening.

Garrett Matthew Whitlock arrived a little over 9 months after we tied the knot. And, where Eli was a spitting image of Jasper in every way, Garrett had a little bit more of me in him. A very little bit. Actually, apart from his hair color and his complexion, he still looked just like his daddy. With two boys under two, life was hectic but perfect. Jasper still recorded, going so far as to build a full studio in the big red barn on our property. He was always busy, but made it home to have supper with the family almost every night. It had been a tradition he had loved as a child and one that we wanted our children to cherish as well.

It didn't surprise anyone when Charlotte Alice Whitlock graced our family fourteen months after Garrett. Charlie, as she came to be known, looked just like me but with Daddy's blonde locks and sparkling blue eyes. She was the apple of her daddy's eye and the feeling was mutual. Nobody else even existed in her mind if Daddy was in the room.

So today found me with the suburban packed to the rafters as we headed to dinner at the Whitlock's. As soon as I stopped the car, chaos began. Eli had himself unbuckled and was ready to run across the lawn towards the door.

"Elijah Jasper Whitlock," I scolded. "You get back over here, Young Man."

"Yes, Mama," Eli said, moving closer to my side again. "Is Daddy coming soon?" Jasper had been stuck in meetings in Dallas and didn't make it home in time to help us load the car, but promised to be on time for dinner. I unbuckled Garrett as Elizabeth bustled out of the house to help me with the brood.

"Eli, you take Garrett's hand and bring him to the house," I told him, before adding a warning to both boys. "Walking and inside voices."

"Yes, Momma," they replied in unison before heading off to the door. My mother-in-law opened the door on the far side and unbuckled Charlie, placing a kiss on her cheek before settling my two year old onto her hip.

"Hello, Charlie-girl," she cooed.

"Nana!" Charlie cheered.

I unbuckled the last member of our rag tag bunch, Peter Samuel Whitlock and placed him on my hip. He was born thirteen months after Charlie and would be one in a week. After closing the doors and grabbing my diaper bag, I hugged my mother-in-law and headed into the house.

"Aunty B!" I heard from below, as a child smashed into my legs two steps into the house.

"Hello EmJ," I said to Emmett Junior. He was one of Emmett and Rosalie's twin terrors. They were the same age as Garrett but as wild as they come. They both took after their daddy in every way. Emmett McCarty senior was an all-pro linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys and his boys looked like they would be following in his footsteps.

"Do not tackle your aunt," Rosalie yelled as she waddled into the room. "Hello, Bella." She waddled over and gave me a hug. Well, as much of a hug as our baby bellies would allow.

"Rose, are you sure you aren't having twins again?" I asked as I rubbed her belly.

"Not all of us can have perfect little bellies," she teased, as she rubbed my belly, completely ignoring my question. She grabbed Peter out of my arms and started kissing at his cheeks as she made her way back to the living room. His giggles filled the air but it was not enough to make me lose my focus completely.

"I think you're right, Bella," my mother-in-law whispered. "She completely changes the subject whenever it comes up."

I smiled at her and winked. I had had my suspicions right from the start but Rosalie had remained tight lipped.

"Granted you are just as bad," she huffed. "I know you guys know the sex of this one and you just won't tell."

"Mama," I said to her, rolling my eyes. "You know we decided to wait until we could all be together. Between Emmett's schedule and Jasper's, tonight is the first time."

Rosalie and I were both 31 weeks pregnant and the dinners on the last few months had been few and far between and always missing some member of the family. First there had been Emmett's football schedule, then Jasper had been on the final push before the release of his fourth album. But tonight the cat would be out of the bag.

Elizabeth set Charlie down and she ran off to play with the boys, her little white shoes tapping across the hardwood floor. Elizabeth hurried back to the kitchen. I followed and offered my assistance, but as usual she shooed me out, insisting she didn't need any help. I checked that all of my kids had made it out back to play with Papa and Uncle Em, before returning to the living room to see if Rosalie needed rescuing from Peter. Peter was standing at the coffee table happily munching on fishy crackers from Rose.

"He reminds me so much of my boys," she said, as Peter mashed his fist containing a coveted fishy cracker into his mouth. It was true. Out of all my children, Peter was build more like Emmett than the others. Eli, Garrett and Charlie were all tall and lanky where as Peter was thick and chunky. Though he did have his daddy's wild blonde curls and piercing blue eyes.

"So?" I asked Rose quietly. She looked around; making sure nobody else was close enough to hear.

"Twins," she said, smiling and rolling her eyes. "Both boys again."

"Heaven help you!" I said, as she nodded in agreement.

"How about you?" she asked.

"Boy," I giggled.

"I think Charlie is doomed to be the only girl," Rose laughed.

"So it seems," I laughed. "I doubt she'll mind, though." Charlie enjoyed being a girl. Well, parts of it at least. She always wanted a pretty dress and fancy shoes. She loved having her hair done in 'pretties' and Rose had created a monster by painting her nails a few weeks ago. Now she wanted them pretty all the time. But that was where her love of all things girly ended. She had no interest in dolls or purses or anything else little girls play with, though Alice tried. She was rough and tumble like her brothers, happier to play outside in the mud then have a tea party. It didn't matter what dress she wore; she was dirty within minutes.

"I smell dinner," Emmett bellowed as he walked into the house, his giggling boys tucked under his arms.

"Honestly," huffed Rose, shaking her head "He's worse than the kids."

I laughed. Jasper walked in right after Emmett with Charlie in one arm and Garrett in the other while Eli was riding Papa's back.

"Wash up and get to the table," ordered Elizabeth. I grabbed Peter and made my way over to Jasper, kissing him soundly over my belly and the little people in our arms. Chaos ensued as we tried to get six kids washed up and set in their seats around the large dinning room table. There was a highchair for Peter and boosters for all the rest. As soon as we were seated Papa said grace and then the food started to make it's way around the table.

"So?" my mother-in-law asked as soon as everybody's plates were full.

I nodded to Rosalie, telling her to go first. "Twins!" Rose said happily. "Two boys."

"I knew it," crowed Elizabeth. "Twins! I was right. Two more boys, what a blessing! Do you have names picked out?"

"We are sticking with Whitlock as their middle names," Rosalie said, patting her belly. "And following the tradition of naming the boys after their dad, these guys will be Emerson and Emanuel."

Emmett Jr., Embry, Emerson and Emanuel. Emmett smiled proudly as he continued to stuff his face, and neither of their boys seemed to even notice what was going on around them as they copied their father.

"How wonderful," Elizabeth cooed. "I am so happy for you. Bella and Jasper?"

I nodded to Jasper, telling him to go ahead with the big reveal.

"And we'd like to introduce Jackson Matthew Whitlock," he said, rubbing my belly lovingly.

"Oh Darlings," Elizabeth cooed again, bringing her napkin to her mouth as tears gathered in her eyes. My father-in-law didn't say a word, as was his custom, just nodded once and continued eating. But, when I looked in his eyes, I could see the tears threatening to fall.

As Jasper and I loaded our tired bunch into the truck for the ride home, I thought back over the last five years. They hadn't been perfect, then again, what real relationship was? Loving him was easy, forgiving him was much harder, but in the end, it was so worth it.

"What are you thinking about, Beautiful?" Jasper asked as he closed the door.

"The past," I answered.

"I thank God every day that you didn't throw me out of that room," he said, pulling me into his arms.

"Me too," I answered. "Me too."


End file.
